India will look to strengthen their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup when they take on West Indies in the second match of the three-game series in Guwahati on Wednesday. India lead the series 1-0 after their comprehensive victory in Thiruvananthapuram and can seal the series with another win.
The match will also provide India with another opportunity to assess combinations ahead of the World Cup. The team began the series with three allrounders — Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja and Naman Dhir — alongside three specialist bowlers. India are expected to retain the same balance for the second ODI.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Nitish remains an important player in India’s plans, particularly with questions surrounding Hardik Pandya’s fitness. He had an expensive start in the first ODI, conceding 17 runs in his opening over, but recovered well later in the innings. He conceded only seven runs in his final four overs and also picked up a wicket.
India will be keen to see further progress from Reddy as they look to develop him into a reliable seam-bowling allrounder across formats. Naman Dhir could also get another opportunity to contribute with his offspin, while Jadeja has a chance to strengthen his case for a World Cup spot with Axar Patel currently away at the Asian Games.
Mohammed Siraj is likely to remain on the bench unless India decide to rotate one of their frontline fast bowlers. The probable XI includes Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna.
West Indies, meanwhile, will be looking for greater consistency across all departments. Their top order showed promise in the opening ODI, with Justin Greaves and John Campbell putting together a strong partnership, but the middle order struggled to maintain the momentum.
Keacy Carty will be another player under focus. He has scored 1,827 ODI runs since his debut, but his strike rate of 75.12 remains an area of concern. West Indies will need him to score at a faster pace if they are to challenge India consistently.
Sherfane Rutherford is expected to return after missing the first ODI for personal reasons. West Indies could also consider strengthening their bowling by bringing in Shamar Joseph or left-arm wristspinner Vitel Lawes, although doing so could reduce their batting depth.
Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium has traditionally produced high-scoring ODIs. India scored 373 against Sri Lanka at the venue, while West Indies made 322 in 2018 before Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli guided India to victory with rapid centuries.
The weather could play a role, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30s Celsius and thunderstorms a possibility.
Kuldeep Yadav is two wickets away from becoming only the ninth Indian bowler to take 200 wickets in men’s ODIs. Rohit Sharma is also 73 runs short of reaching 12,000 ODI runs.
India have won 11 of their last 12 ODIs against West Indies, but the visitors will aim to keep the series alive with a stronger bowling performance in Guwahati.
